News

Paid Parking on Elm Street on Track for End of August

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The previously purchased parking machines—part of a plan to transition Elm Street and sections of South Avenue to a pay-for-parking system—should be installed by the end of August, officials say. The Parking Commission received an update on the new paid parking initiative at its Aug. 6 meeting. Parking Manager Stacy Miltenberg told the Commission that “the machines are scheduled to arrive in late August” and “the hope is to have them installed by the end of the month.”

“Right now, we are working on preparing the concrete bases so everything will be ready for installation when the machines arrive,” Miltenberg told the Commission at its regular meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. “We are also working on updating the signage on the streets and lots.

Government

Town Upholds $30 Ticket Issued to New Canaan Woman Who Used Town Hall Lot

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Officials this month upheld a $30 ticket issued to a New Canaan woman for parking at Town Hall without any legitimate reason for being there. The one-hour spaces in the parking lot behind Town Hall are only for those using the government building. 

Aria Guo told members of the Parking Commission during their regular meeting on July 9 that she had gone to pick up flowers from a friend across the street and then had planned to return and enter Town Hall on matters related to her taxes. After an hour-long discussion that multiple members described as uncomfortable, Commissioners Nancy Bemis and Katie O’Neill voted 2-0 to uphold the ticket issued to Guo on June 2. Commissioner Kevin Karl recused himself from voting, saying he is a neighbor of the appellant. “We need to reinforce that there is no parking at Town Hall tolerated outside of Town Hall business,” Bemis said at the end of the meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference.

Business

‘It’s Going To Hurt Merchants’: Parking Commission Pushes Back on Elimination of 15-Minute Spots on Elm Street

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Members of the appointed body that oversees New Canaan’s parking department this month pushed back on part of a larger plan that will see the one-way stretch of Elm Street converted to paid spots. Specifically, members of the Parking Commission during their May 7 meeting objected to plans to eliminate—rather than increase—the number of free 15-minute parking spaces on Elm Street while the town converts those free spots to paid. “If we are not interested in revenue, what is the argument against short-term parking?” Commissioner Katie O’Neill said during the regular meeting, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. “Because as I see it, we are adding a surcharge on coffee shops, on sandwich shops. All the sudden now if you are picking up a $15 sandwich it’s going to be $15.50 or whatever.

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‘It’s Never Been Like This’: Vanishing Waitlist for Once-Coveted ‘Lumberyard Lot’ Parking Permits

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For the first time in at least two decades, town officials are expecting to see zero waitlist for what traditionally has been the most coveted commuter parking permit in New Canaan. As of last week, there were just 25 people left on the waitlist for the “Lumberyard Lot,” according to Parking Manager Stacy Miltenberg. The 298-space lot abuts the train station on Elm Street downtown, a far more desirable location for commuters than “outer” municipal lots such as Center School and Locust Avenue. “It’s so surprising, it’s never been like this,” Miltenberg told members of the Parking Commission during their regular meeting, held March 5 at Town Hall and via videoconference. 

On recent afternoons, Miltenberg said, parking officials counted 40 to 60 open spaces in the Lumberyard. 

There’s “a very  good chance” that the waitlist vanishes entirely, she said. “I will let all those 25 people know and see how many people take it and then after that, I don’t know,” Miltenberg said.

Government

Town Upholds $35 Ticket for ‘No Parking Zone’ Violation

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Town officials on Wednesday night upheld a $35 ticket issued to a Stamford woman who parked in a no parking zone downtown. Jane Shapiro told members of the Parking Commission during an appeal hearing that she “would never normally appeal something like this because obviously I was parked improperly, but I think I had my blinkers on and I have a disabled sticker.”

On the day she was ticketed (12:49 p.m. on Jan. 8, a Wednesday), Shapiro said her knees were hurting and “I couldn’t walk very much.”

“My leg was collapsing and I tried to explain that to the officer but he said, ‘It’s too late, you have to go fight this if you want,’ ” she said during the hearing, held at Town Hall and via videoconference. “So I figured I might as well. I was really in pain that day.”

Shapiro said she left her vehicle for about six minutes to pick up something from Rosie.